The Irish Grain Growers Group is calling on all malting barley growers to reject an offer from Boortmalt for their grain.

Last month Boortmalt, the dominant player in the Irish malting industry, concluded a two-year deal with the IFA, but the Irish Grain Growers Group has called on malting barley growers to reject this offer.

It says that the deal is squeezing farmers' margins and that the IFA has failed to defend growers' interests.

"Malting barley was once seen as a premium crop, traditionally grown by experienced specialist growers on some of the best tillage land in the country."

Growers are now either walking away or reducing their acreage dedicated to malting barley, the group says and claims the amount of malting barley being imported will increase.

According to the growers, the distilling barley specification is a source of huge frustration to growers.

"Boortmalt demands in 2017 that each grower must deliver for 30pc of their contracted tonnage barley with a maximum protein content of 8.8pc.

"By way of comparison European malting barley growers have much broader protein range of 9.5-13pc." It says that claims by Boortmalt that growers’ can meet these specifications without a loss of yield is in conflict with independent research by the state body Teagasc."